The Hague Agreement concerning the International Registration of Industrial Designs makes it possible to obtain protection for an industrial design in several contracting parties through a single international application filed with the International Bureau of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) in Geneva, Switzerland, leading to the registration of the design in an international register.
International protection does not apply „worldwide“, but only in the contracting parties designated in the application.
The procedure has many advantages. Design holders do not need to file a separate national application in each contracting party in which they seek protection, and thus avoid the complications arising from differences between national procedures. They also do not have to file documents in different languages or monitor the renewal deadlines of a series of national registrations that differ from country to country. Moreover, they do not have to pay fees in different currencies.
Unlike an international trade mark application, an international design application does not require a prior national („basic“) application.
You are advised to use an intellectual property attorney in this procedure, and you can rely on Reguligence for such a service.
Depending on the client’s specific requirements, we can offer the international design application from EUR 600 plus VAT. This is a „from“ price: depending on the specifics of the case and the search, the fee may be higher. We agree the full fee with you in writing before we start work.
In addition to our fee for the international design application, fees are payable to the International Bureau of WIPO and to the offices concerned. The International Bureau charges (in Swiss francs, according to the WIPO fee schedule in force on 1 July 2026):
- a basic fee of CHF 397 for one design and CHF 50 for each additional design in the same application;
- a publication fee of CHF 17 for each reproduction to be published;
- a designation fee for each designated contracting party – either a standard fee (CHF 42, 60 or 90 for one design, depending on the level that applies to the party concerned; CHF 2, 20 or 50 for each additional design) or an individual fee set by the party itself.
The individual designation fee for the European Union is EUR 62 per design.
The application is filed electronically through WIPO’s eHague platform.
All information is given without guarantee (as of October 2026). Official fees are set by the offices and may change; the current fee schedule applies.
We inform you of the exact fees for the countries concerned on a case-by-case basis.
Do you have any questions about the international registration of industrial designs? Then contact us!
